


Loving the Stars

by UndodgedBullet



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F, but my friend made me promise not to make this sad, i was actually going to include that, like in order for this to still be canon compliant River can't remember this, the Doctor definitely had to wipe River's memory of this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 09:01:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14541288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UndodgedBullet/pseuds/UndodgedBullet
Summary: The Doctor takes River on a trip to show her how much she loves her.





	Loving the Stars

_ “When you love the Doctor, it’s like loving the stars themselves.” _

 

* * *

 

The sound of the materializing TARDIS echoing through the prison is now a familiarity that River has grown accustomed to but is something she will never quite be able to get used to. She smiles to herself and sits up in her bed, running a hand through her curls as the police box becomes a solid figure. The TARDIS doors open and River stands up, preparing for a man in a suit and bow-tie with brown floppy hair to walk out. Instead, it’s a woman with a new face.

 

Before River can even open her mouth to vocalize her question, the woman proudly says, “Hello, sweetie.”

 

River approaches the bars of her cell, looking at the woman with intrigue. “Doctor?”

 

“The one and only,” the Doctor answers, walking forward to River. “How do I look?” She twirls in a circle, looking at River with an expectant smile. 

 

River stares at her for a few seconds and then asks, “...How?”

 

“Don’t you like it?” the Doctor asks, her smile faltering just a bit. Her body is still fairly new but she’s found that she’s pretty fond of it. But if her wife doesn’t like it then—

 

“What?” River asks, breaking the Doctor’s train of thought. She reaches her arm out towards her. “Come here.”

 

The Doctor takes a few steps until she’s almost right up to the bars of River’s cell. River grabs onto the Doctor’s jacket with both hands and pulls her closer. She leans forward and before either of them can even breathe, their lips are being pressed together. It feels the same as the first time — and every time after — they kissed; it’s powerful enough that both of them are almost dizzy from it. One of the Doctor’s hands move to hold onto River’s shoulder while the other rests on River’s cheek and River finds her fingers tightening their grip on the Doctor’s jacket. Both women’s eyes are closed and it feels like they’re being transported, like they’re visiting every galaxy and supernova and burning sun since the creation of time. 

 

“Wow,” is the first thing the Doctor says when they pull away from each other. She’s breathless, moving her hands away from River to hold onto the cell bars in front of her. She lets out a laugh like she’s in awe, like she hasn’t kissed River at least a billion times before. And technically she hasn’t, not with the new pair of lips she’s found herself with. Everything about River feels different, not because of River but because the Doctor is an entirely new person now. She had previously memorized every single thing about River but now she wants to do it again with  _ this _ body. 

 

The smile that’s left on the Doctor’s face is so pure and so unwavering that River can’t help but smile as well. 

 

“Of course I like this regeneration,” River reassures her. The Doctor’s smile turns into a full beam and River shakes her head fondly at the Doctor’s delight. “Well, at the very least, I like the  _ face _ . Can’t really say anything about the rest of your body. Yet.” She shoots the Doctor a wink and hides her smirk as the Doctor’s face flushes. 

 

“We have somewhere to be,” the Doctor says. It’s an awful attempt at changing the subject but River allows it. 

 

“Where are we going?” River asks as the Doctor takes out her sonic screwdriver and points it at the cell door. It unlocks and seconds later, the alarms start going off. 

 

The Doctor opens the door and grabs River’s hand, pulling her to the TARDIS before any guards have the chance to get there and stop them. The Doctor’s hands are smaller than they’ve been the past few regenerations but she finds that they still fit perfectly when intertwined with River’s. “It’s a surprise, dear!” she shouts over the alarms. 

 

The TARDIS doors are shut behind them and the Doctor excitedly runs over to the console to send the ship into space. River makes her way over, putting her palm flat against the console and smiling down at it. The TARDIS makes a soft hum, like she’s smiling back. The Doctor looks away from the interaction with her own smile and flips a final switch before she takes a step back and fully faces River. 

 

“I think you’re really going to like where we’re going,” the Doctor tells her. “Well, I  _ hope _ you do.”

 

River takes the Doctor’s hand, brings it up to her lips, and presses a kiss to it. “I’m sure wherever you’re taking me will be perfect.” The Doctor grins. 

 

“Not to be spoilery or anything,” the Doctor says, “but I’ve missed you. I’ve really, really missed you.”

 

“Darling,” River says. She doesn’t know how long it’s been since the Doctor last saw her but she doesn’t  _ need _ to know. “Darling, I’ve missed you too.”

 

The Doctor stares at her, a sad smile on her face. She snaps out of it a few seconds later as the TARDIS lands. 

 

“We’re here!” she says excitedly, taking her hand out of River’s grasp to take River by the shoulders. The Doctor turns her around and lightly pushes her towards the doors.

 

“I’m going, I’m going,” River says, playfully pushing the Doctor back, giving a genuine, pure,  _ beautiful _ laugh that makes the Doctor’s hearts feel lighter. 

 

“I brought you here because there’s something I need you to know,” the Doctor begins. “Something you should  _ already  _ know but you don’t because I’m an awful wife—”

 

“Doctor—” River interrupts, now frowning. 

 

The Doctor immediately regrets what she said because she can see the hurt in River’s eyes. But she shakes her head and gestures for River to open the TARDIS doors, saying, “River, I brought you here because I—”

 

She stops her sentence short as River opens the doors. They look outside, confusion on both of their faces. The Doctor has brought them to somewhere that can only be described as a landfill. 

 

“Because you what?” River asks.

 

The Doctor frowns and pokes her head out through the doors. “This is... not where I meant to bring you.”

 

“Well, it’s not like you  _ ever _ end up where you’re trying to go,” River jokes, a smirk forming on her lips. 

 

The Doctor makes a face. “I was trying to take you out on a date and instead I bring you to a  _ landfill _ .”

 

River laughs, “It’s the thought that counts, sweetie.” She leans over to press a kiss to the Doctor’s cheek. “It was only an accident, let’s just leave and go where you were planning.”

 

“Okay,  _ now _ I think you’ll really like where we’re going,” the Doctor says, returning to the console. River shuts the doors and the Doctor once again sends the ship into flight.

 

When the TARDIS lands, the Doctor makes sure to look at the monitor to make sure she’s brought them to the right place. River is right behind the Doctor, also looking at the monitor. 

 

“Where are we?” River asks. The only thing visible in the monitor is scattered stars among the darkness of space.

 

The Doctor gives her a simple smile and opens the doors. She sits down on the floor, her legs hanging out of the TARDIS into the emptiness around them. She pats the floor next to her and River sits down as well, her legs also dangling out.

 

“Space,” the Doctor answers. She stares out, looking like there’s something she wants to say.

 

“I can see that,” River says, amusement in her voice. “Why?”

 

The Doctor takes a deep breath. “Because I love you.”

 

She turns to face River, who now seems frozen on the spot, no amusement left in her expression.

 

“What—”

 

“I’m in love with you,” the Doctor interrupts. “And you should have already known that but you  _ don’t _ and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive myself for that.”

 

She reaches down to take River’s hand in hers. 

 

“Doctor, why are you telling me this?” River’s eyebrows are furrowed but she’s not upset, just confused. Every time she sees the Doctor she worries that it may be their last time together and the Doctor suddenly professing her love seems slightly suspicious.

 

“Because it’s true,” the Doctor answers. “More than true. There has never been anything truer.” She lifts the hand that’s not holding River’s and points. “Do you see that star? It reminds me of you.”

 

“...How so?”

 

“Because you are the most important thing in the galaxy. Every single thing about you is beautiful and if you weren’t here everything would just... shatter.”

 

“Doctor,” River says, like she can’t handle being told all of this.

 

“I loved the stars when I was younger,” the Doctor continues. “I still do. But the amount of love I have for them can’t even begin to come anywhere near how much love I have for you.” 

 

She squeezes River’s hand, trying to tell her everything that she can’t express through just words. River turns to her, tears in her eyes, and they both lean in. As they kiss, they both feel like everything is finally okay.


End file.
